Philippines top court extends stay on family planning law

Philippines top court extends stay on family planning law
See: http://gulfnews.com/news/world/philippines/philippines-top-court-extends-stay-on-family-planning-law-1.1209654

Manila: The Supreme Court has extended indefinitely the implementation of a controversial family planning law pending hearings between critics and supporters of the law.

Justices voted 8-7 in favour of extending the deadline set earlier for a 120-day status quo ante (keep things the way were before) order against a law that allows the government to subsidise the use of condom and other artificial family planning methods, for poor people, said Theodore Te, information head of the Apex Court.

Passed by Congress this year, the Act Providing for a National Policy on Responsible Parenthood and Reproduction Health, popularly known as RH bill, also calls for sex education in primary and secondary public schools.

The High Court also scheduled the continuation of hearings on the issue on July 23.

The order was in response to 14 petitioners who called on the Apex Court to declare the law as unconstitutional.

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